Certificate of Graduate Study in Assistant Principal

The assistant principal certificate program is offered through the Educational Leadership program and is designed to meet the state requirements for assistant principal certification in Maine and to provide a foundation for graduate work in educational administration. This 15-credit program consists of five courses.

This 15-credit certificate consists of five courses: EDU 659 Special Education Law for School Leaders EDU 670 Introduction to Educational Leadership EDU 671 Organizational Behavior EDU 678 School Law EDU 679 Evaluation and Supervision of School Personnel

Courses may be taken in any sequence. At the conclusion of the certificate program, students will not only have satisfied state requirements for a Maine assistant principal's certificate but will have completed a significant part of the entry and foundation coursework for a master's degree in educational leadership. In addition, they will receive USM certificates of program completion which can be cited on résumés and vitae.

Although credits from the certificate program may be transferable to a master's program, students who wish to matriculate into a master's program must apply separately for admission.

Minimum Admission Requirements: Criteria for admission include successful completion of a bachelor's degree and relevant professional experience. To earn a certificate, students must complete 75 percent of the required coursework at USM, and earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in each course.

In addition, applicants to the assistant principal certificate are expected to have two years of teaching experience with the expectation of completing a third year of teaching during USM graduate study. The Maine Department of Education requires three years of teaching experience for administrative certification.

Application deadline

Admission applications are accepted on a rolling basis with priority deadlinesfor intended semester of matriculation.

By October 15 for Spring Semester

By March 15 for Summer Semester

By May 1 for Fall Semester

Candidates should submit all application materials to the Application Processing Center, University of Maine System, P.O. Box 412, Bangor, ME 04402-0412. Electronic transcripts and other application materials can be emailed to: edocs@maine.edu

Applications must include:

Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, excluding the seven campuses of the University of Maine system. A transcript is official when it comes directly from the institution. If an applicant is submitting an official transcript, it must be in a sealed envelope from the institution indicating that it is an official document. If the envelope has been opened prior to arriving at the Office of Graduate Admissions, it is no longer considered an official transcript;

Acceptance to a certificate program does not constitute acceptance to a master's or post-master's certificate of advanced study program. Applications for degree status must be made under separate cover.